The Kansas City Royals took their lackluster 2025 season personally, as they continue to make moves in hopes of returning to the playoffs. Their latest was trading right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan to the Philadelphia Phillies for southpaw reliever Matt Strahm on Friday morning.

The Royals picked Strahm in the 12th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, and he notched a 1.23 ERA across 21 outings as a rookie in 2016. However, the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder posted a 5.45 ERA over 24 games a year after that before they traded him to the San Diego Padres midseason.

Since then, Strahm has become one of baseball's better setup men. The North Dakota native tallied 64 of his 93 career holds over the last four seasons and notched a sub-4.00 ERA in each of those years. He had a 1.87 ERA over 66 outings in 2024 and a 2.74 ERA across 66 games in 2025.

Strahm will make $7.5 million on the final year of his contract next season, per Spotrac. 

Meanwhile, Bowlan was selected by Kansas City in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft. The 29-year-old recorded a 3.86 ERA over 34 games in 2025, which was his first full big-league season. He'll make $820,000 on his pre-arbitration deal next season and is under team control through 2032, per Spotrac.

Royals Trade Grade: B

Kansas City gave up long-term security in this deal, as Bowlan is a rising and cheap player under team control through several years, while Strahm is 34 years old and on an expiring contract. At the same time, the club filled a need.

Strahm gives the Royals a reliable lefty reliever to mix in with right-handers Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estevez in high-leverage situations. Their only other listed southpaw relief pitcher is Daniel Lynch IV, who notched a 3.06 ERA over 57 games in 2025 but has a 4.56 ERA over 124 career games.

It makes sense to sacrifice long-term security for short-term gain if a team is going all-in on the present. Kansas City is doing just that, as it also traded southpaw reliever Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers for righty reliever Nick Mears and outfielder Isaac Collins on Dec. 14, per its transactions page.

Zerpa is only 26 and is under team control through 2028, but Strahm has a better track record. Zerpa recorded a 3.86 ERA in 2024 and a 4.18 mark in 2025, which were his first two full big-league seasons. 

Through these two trades, the Royals have upgraded one of their lefty relievers while also swapping a righty and adding a promising outfielder in Collins, who notched a .779 OPS across 130 games in 2025, his first full MLB season.